Embodiments disclosed herein pertain generally to medical device systems and methods for delivering treatment to internal body lumens. More specifically, embodiments are related to intra aortic renal treatment delivery systems and methods.
Many different medical device systems and methods have been previously described for locally delivering fluids or other agents into various body regions, including body lumens such as vessels, or other body spaces such as organs or heart chambers. Local fluid delivery systems may include drugs or other agents, or may even include locally delivering the body's own fluids, such as artificially enhanced blood transport, for example either entirely within the body such as directing or shunting blood from one place to another, or in extracorporeal modes such as via external blood pumps and the like. Local agent delivery systems are herein generally intended to relate to introduction of a foreign composition as an agent into the body, which may include drugs or other useful or active agents, and may be in a fluid form or other form such as gels, solids, powders, gases, and the like.
In general, local agent delivery systems and methods are often used for the benefit of achieving relatively high, localized concentrations of agent where injected within the body in order to maximize the intended effects there and while minimizing unintended peripheral effects of the agent elsewhere in the body. Where a particular dose of a locally delivered agent may be efficacious for an intended local effect, the same dose systemically delivered would be substantially diluted throughout the body before reaching the same location. The agent's intended local effect is equally diluted and efficacy is compromised. Thus systemic agent delivery requires higher dosing to achieve the required localized dose for efficacy, often resulting in compromised safety due to for example systemic reactions or side effects of the agent as it is delivered and processed elsewhere throughout the body other than at the intended target.
In some cases, patients may present arterial anatomical features that provide challenges to operators who wish to administer treatment to the patient. For example, in some patients there is substantial offset between renal arteries that may make simultaneous bilateral renal artery cannulation difficult. Relatedly, some patients may only have one renal artery, or may only require treatment in one of their two renal arteries. What is needed are improved systems and techniques that allow physicians and other medical personnel to efficiently and effectively treat such patients. Embodiments described herein provide solutions for at least some of such needs.